![]() A stick is like an extension of your arm it might help you catch your balance or slow your fall. A mountain goat would not think of traversing the heights of a snow-slippery mountain path on just two legs, and neither should you. Take a walking stick, or pick one up along the trail. On blustery days, the wind whooshes and roars past the treetops, but down below you’re so protected by trees and canyon walls that you hardly feel a breeze. You can hear the winter wind whispering in the pines, even on a still day. More often, the trail led to granite-strewn overlooks so bright that I needed sunglasses to look out on the white and blue landscape. At times it was dark in the deep canyons of the 7,242-foot mountain. I started up the trail at high noon on a sunny Sunday. You can’t see Spain from the top, but you can easily find Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska. Want to play like a mountain goat for a winter afternoon? Then hike to the summit of Black Peak after a soft snowfall, picking your way up the rocky, tree-strewn 3-mile trail that leads to the tallest point east of the Rockies and west of the Pyrenees in Europe. Just as we opened the doors to our car back at the trailhead, the heavens opened up - dumping rain and then hail.Climbers who reach the summit of Black Elk Peak can gaze upon four states: South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska. Clouds started appearing as we reached teh summit. We started right after lunch (you can grab a burger at the gift shop at Sylvan Lake) with a seemingly clear sky. There are trail blazes painted on the rocks to show the best route up/down - follow those. If not deterred - the panoramic view from the top is superb. It doesn't require any technical climbing skill and would be fine for most kids - but something I'd be hesitant to recommend to very young kids, elderly, or anyone deterred at thought of scrambling up boulders. To get to the panoramic viewpoint at the end of this trail, you need to climb up some boulders. As you get closer to the starting point, you can take another spur to Little Devils Tower (a spur you would have passed on the way up). My wife and I thought the side trip was well worthwhile. This is a relatively short/easy spur that takes you along a short valley with striking rock spires on either side of you (with climbers climbing them) to an informal picnic area, at which point you can turn back. On the way back down to our starting point, we took the spur to Cathedral Spires. Remember to look up in case you see a golden eagle circling overhead as we did. If you keep going straight at that point, you're going to take the "Harney Peak N" trail back down the hill to the trailhead on the N side of the mountain - and miss the peak! It's signed - but pay attention as we saw a couple hikers looking confused and/or starting to go the wrong way before correcting. As you approach the peak, if coming from the south (Lake Sylan), there's a turn to the left that takes you to the overlook/summit. But check out the mileage and understand you're walking uphill (and in hot weather if in the summer). It's not a particularly steep or difficult climb. Not surprisingly, the trail is uphill on the way up! There's nothing technically difficult about it. The route to Harney Peak is well signposted and heavily trafficked - but comforting to have a map showing trails of the park (free at park visitors center) - to give you comfort, particularly if doing spurs mentioned below. Starting here shaves a little time of the trail from the South vs. The parking lot seems to fill up - but there was some turnover of spaces around lunchtime. We started from the Little Devils Tower trailhead parking lot - a little to the SE of Sylvan Lake on Needles Parkway. This hike was a highlight of our trip to SD - and my wife's favorite site/activity of the entire summer trip. Rushmore! - Plan time to hike around Harney Peak and relax after reaching the spectacular Fire Tower. Plus, Trail 9 has more shade for later in the day. Better yet, make it a loop and hike out on Trail 9 which has more elevation change (due to valleys), but offers different scenery. It's a little longer, but offers better scenery and less total elevation change. Much of the trails are exposed to high-altitude sunshine. Even if you start at 7:00, you will see dozens of people at the top and hundreds more following in your footsteps during the heat of the day. Take a snack and a lot of water! - Arrive early in the summer to get a parking space at Sylvan Lake and avoid crowds. Here's some tips: - Take a map! The trails are clearly marked, but trail numbers are numerous and can be confusing. The hike to Harney Peak Trail is arguably the best hike in the Black Hills, maybe in all of South Dakota, or maybe even in the North Central USA! Views from the top are spectacular and make the ~8 mile hike worth the effort.
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